A comparison of salivary cortisol in chronic fatigue syndrome, community depression and healthy controls.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies reporting cortisol hyposecretion in chronic fatigue syndrome may have been confounded by venepuncture, fasting and hospitalisation.


METHODS
Morning and evening salivary cortisol were obtained on consecutive days in the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle and compared in three samples of women taking no medication and matched for age: 14 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, 26 community cases of ICD-10 current depressive episodes and 131 healthy community controls.


RESULTS
The mean evening cortisol was significantly lower in the chronic fatigue syndrome patients compared to controls with depression (P = 0.02) and healthy controls (P = 0.005). Chronic fatigue syndrome patients without psychiatric disorder had significantly lower morning salivary cortisols compared to controls (P = 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic fatigue syndrome patients display cortisol hyposecretion in saliva as well as plasma compared to patients with depression and healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Small samples of female patients with cortisol estimated at only two time points in the day. Cortisol secretion may be secondary to other neurotransmitter abnormalities or other physiological or lifestyle factors in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic fatigue syndrome is biochemically distinct from community depression.
Strickland
P
P
University of Manchester and (Guild NHS Trust), Department of Community Psychiatry, Royal Preston Hospital, Fulwood, UK.
Morriss
R
R
Wearden
A
A
Deakin
B
B
D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*
D006854:Hydrocortisone